Dyna Stroll ready to stretch out

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Dyna Stroll was a huge overlay when he paid $16.40 in the Jim Coleman Province on June 5, but he will be a considerably shorter price in the $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap at Hastings on Sunday.

The first middle-distance stakes for 3-year-olds at Hastings this year, the Chris Loseth is run at 1 1/16 miles. It drew six horses and should be a good indicator of which horses will be serious contenders in the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 26.

Dyna Stroll is the horse to beat Sunday. Trained by Troy Taylor, Dyna Stroll made a strong late move under apprentice jockey Geovanni Franco and caught Sense of Humor in the last few strides in the Jim Coleman Province, a 6 1/2-furlong race. He figures to relish the extra distance. In his lone start going around three turns, he came from well back to score a 2 1/4-length win over Silly Fella in the $107,000 Ascot Graduation last Oct. 25.

Dyna Stroll posted splits of 24.60 and 48.20 seconds when he worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 on July 4, according to the Hastings clockers, and he appears to be coming into the race in perfect condition.

Mario Gutierrez, who was aboard for the work, rides Dyna Stroll.

Sense of Humor looks like the one they will have to catch, and his trainer, Mel Snow, is very good when it comes to stretching horses out for the first time. In the last five years, Snow is 9 for 26 (35 percent) with horses going a mile or longer the first time, according to DRF's Formulator. The caveat is that Sense of Humor is out of a mare, Comedy Class, who was strictly a sprinter. Neither of Sense of Humor's two siblings have won going long.

Silly Fella has the pedigree to get the distance, and he ran well to finish second in the Ascot Graduation. Trained by Terry Dubois, Silly Fella tired to finish third after dueling with Sense of Humor in the Jim Coleman Province.

Ladner Lad comes into the race off a sharp win in a $50,000 optional race going 1 1/16 miles. His trainer, Phil Hall, said he thinks Ladner Lad can compete at the top level.

"He did everything right, and hopefully, he can run the same kind of race," Hall said. "I think he's got a shot."